by Kelex
Linc stepped closer, his focus intent on Chance. “Why haven’t I noticed how good looking you’ve become?”
Chance’s eyes rounded, and his heart skipped a beat. “Perhaps it was because you’ve done everything in your power to avoid me all these years?” As soon as the words were out of Chance’s mouth, he wanted to kick himself.
“And now you’re thinking about leaving.” Linc’s gaze narrowed. “My loss, hmm?”
Chance felt the air sucked from his lungs again. No words came up, nothing that would sound sane, that was. He only stared at Linc, shocked down to his toes. “I guess.”
Linc didn’t say anything, only stood there, staring intently.
Chance drew the file folder up and closed the papers in his hand before he dropped those, too. “I better get to the office and go put your offer in. Get the ball rolling and all.” He needed out of the house, away from this strange energy Linc was putting out.
Yet he didn’t move, even though he told himself to. He was caught in Linc’s stare and couldn’t free himself.
After another awkward minute, Linc tilted his head to the side. “Better get on that.”
Chance nodded, backing up into the hallway. As soon as he was there, he spun and nearly ran down the stairs. He couldn’t get out of the house fast enough, but then once he was about to head out, he realized he still had the key and had to lock up.
Pausing, he closed his eyes. I am such a moron. “Hey, Linc, I have to lock up. Are you coming?”
Linc didn’t answer, but Chance heard the man’s heavy footfalls from overhead. A second later, he spied Linc on the stairway and their gazes locked once more. Heat swelled within Chance, making it hard to breathe.
What had changed the dynamic between them? Chance wasn’t sure what was happening here and didn’t know how to respond.
Chance stepped back a little, to let Linc walk through the door. Linc’s wide shoulders nearly took up the whole space, still crowding Chance a little. Linc leaned down a little as he passed, inhaling.
Smelling me? Chance’s hands were shaking as he locked the door and replaced the hidden key. What the hell is going on here?
Chance spun and hit a wall of muscled chest. He looked up into Linc’s face, stunned.
“Keep me updated on the news. Me. Not Jax and not Colt, but me. Understood?”
Chance nodded.
“Good. I’ll see you soon,” Linc said before carefully crossing the porch and stairs. Chance watched him walking down the front path, his perfectly shaped ass doing incredible things to his tight jeans. Linc turned to face Chance once he reached his truck. “By the way, it would be a shame if you left.”
Chance frowned, totally confused by all this attention from Linc. As soon as Linc’s dual cab drove off, Chance could breathe again. He made his way carefully over the steps and down to his car. Once inside, he took a few cleansing breaths, trying to get control over his body and mind.
What the fuck was that?
Chapter Two
“So how was the house?” Jax’s voice crackled over the speakers of Linc’s pickup. Hand’s free calling was a luxury Linc couldn’t live without.
“Good. I told Chance to put an offer down.”
“How much?”
“Twenty K,” Linc answered.
“Jeez, how bad was the house?”
“From the outside, it looked like it was ready for the wrecking ball. Inside, it had charm.”
“Did you look under the house?”
“No, but comps for the area—just for the land—is in the thirty and up range. We can clear the house if all else fails and still make ten grand on selling it as a lot, if we can get it that low. But I have a feeling this house will be worth the fix.”
“I’ll trust your judgment,” Jax said. There was another male voice in the distance, and Linc was sure it was Golden. A second later, Jax came back. “So how was Chance?”
Linc’s jaw tightened. He knew Golden was wondering if the seed he’d planted had taken root. Ever since Jax and Golden had become a thing, Golden had seemed bound and determined to find someone for either he and/or Colt. “Chance was fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Tell your boyfriend to get his nose out of my love life,” Linc answered. “Just because the two of you are sickeningly sweet does not mean I choose to be.”
Jax relayed the message to Golden, and Golden’s voice spat something back, the tone higher.
“Golden seems to think you might have realized what you’ve been missing all this time.”
Linc growled. “I’m busy. Goodbye.”
Another reason Linc loved hand’s free calling. The ease of hanging up on an irritating call. Yet there had been some truth to Golden’s words, as much as it irritated him to admit it. Chance had changed, and Linc had been missing out on a golden opportunity.
Golden opportunity?
Ugh.
Linc adjusted himself in his seat after stopping at a red light. His cock was so rock-hard it hurt. Images of pinning Chance to the wall and having his wicked way with the realtor had pummeled his mind while they’d been inside the house, alone. It had taken every shred of his control not to do exactly what his mind illustrated.
And then when Chance had talked about the possibility of leaving? It had triggered something in Linc.
Chance wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet, at least. He swiped a thumb over his phone and hit the call button on Colt’s number. The ringing sound came a second later over his speakers.
“Yeah? Whatcha want?”
“I might need your help,” Linc said, his mind churning, a plan slowly forming.
“Sure thing,” Colt answered. “What do you need?”
“Chance is talking about leaving for L.A.”
“And?” Colt asked after a moment. It wasn’t the reaction Linc expected or appreciated.
“He’s always gone above and beyond to help us get these houses for the fairest price. If he leaves, that means we need another realtor.”
“I’m sure we can find someone else willing to help us out,” Colt said. “If L.A. is calling his name, maybe he should go. I’m sure there’s a lot more money to be made there.”
“He’s not going anywhere,” Linc ground out.
The line was silent for a few seconds.
“So, Golden got to you, did he?” Colt laughed on the other end.
Linc stewed for a moment, not wanting to answer. “No, Golden didn’t get to me.” Linc clenched his jaw, remembering the shock he’d felt once he’d looked—really looked—at the man right under his nose. Chance was gorgeous. He was also smart, hardworking, and had always looked out for them. Linc was a total idiot.
No reason the others had to know just how big an idiot he was.
“We need him to stay here and help us. Any other realtor out there would charge us more by way of commission, more than likely, and if costs go up, we might not turn enough profit to make this a viable business.”
“Seduce him,” Colt said blatantly. “He wants you. So seduce him and make him want to stay. Give him a night he can’t forget and make him want to stay.”
“That’s a shit move, and you know it,” Linc blasted back. “I won’t string him along. It’s not fair to either of us.” Plus the whole thing could easily backfire and push Chance straight into L.A.
“Of course it is. It’s also a shit move to hold him back from a better prospect just because we want him here.”
Linc clenched his jaw again, knowing full well it wasn’t really about the money. All three of them had a nice little nest egg at this point, their house was paid off, and even if they did have to fork over a little more to a new realtor, they’d still be just fine.
It was more about a potential missed opportunity.
He’d finally had his eyes opened and saw what had been right under his nose.
And now it might be too late.
“Talk to him. Find out if he’s really thinking about leaving or was just throwing smok
e,” Linc said.
“I’m not usually the one who talks to Chance. That would be Jax.”
And give Golden a hint at what Linc was about? “If I tell Jax, then Golden might assume more and play matchmaker. I don’t need that shit. So it has to be you.”
Colt sighed. “Fine. I’ll think of some reason to call him.”
“What about the house on Gable? I didn’t ask if he’d had any showings lately. Maybe you could call and ask that and then bring it up.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll call him now,” Colt said.
“Hurry up. And call me back.”
“Linc, man, chill out.” The line went dead seconds later.
Linc could not chill out. Not now. Not when he might lose out.
Chance reread the screen for the fourth time, his mind a mess. The run-in with Linc earlier that day had really thrown him. Focus was next to impossible now. Might as well call it a day and go on home.
He walked over to his office door and leaned there. “Allie, can you keep an ear out on that offer I sent over earlier and give me a call if something comes back? I’ve got some errands to run.”
Errands my ass. I just need out of these four walls.
Allie glanced over and grinned. “Sure thing, Chance.”
His cell phone rang before she finished the last syllable.
“Thanks, hon,” he whispered while punching the button without looking at the screen. “This is Chance, how can I help you?”
“Hey, buddy, how are you?”
Chance pulled the screen away and saw it was Colt’s number. Why is Colt calling me? “Hey, Colt. What’s up?”
“I just talked to Linc and found out he didn’t ask if there were any bites on the Gable house. I thought I’d check in to see if there was any news.”
Chance leaned on the corner of the desk, confused. He’d just given Jax all these details yesterday afternoon. “I’ve got two showings tomorrow afternoon and evening, both pre-approved, which is a good start.”
“Good, good,” Colt said absentmindedly. “Hopefully we’ll get that sold here soon before it sits much longer.”
“It’s a little larger of a house, compared to the ones you normally flip, and the price tag’s a bit higher—but the right buyer will come. Your work is too good for it not to move.”
“Yeah, it was a risk. Speaking of risk… Linc tells me you’re talking about moving?”
Chance rose, closing his office door. “Oh yeah?”
“So is this really a thing, or what?”
“I don’t know. Just a thought right now. But rest assured, I wouldn’t leave you guys high and dry. I’m sure there’s a few people here in this office who would be willing to jump in and take over. I’d make sure you had a good one.”
“Ah. But for now, it’s just a thought.”
Chance frowned. “I’ve been thinking about it for a few months. Talked to a couple of agencies out there and they both said they’d love to have me out. Now it’s just a matter of looking at logistics and if the cost of living would outpace my potential new income, especially at first. I’d be starting from scratch out there.”
“Yeah, you’ve really built a solid reputation here. It would be sad to see you leave that behind.”
Chance lowered into his office chair, the call unsettling him. “True and I’ve really thought about that, but I could be making twice what I make now, if not more, with that same work ethic.”
“Sometimes it’s not always about the money, Chance. L.A. is a whole other beast. The traffic alone is a reason not to move there.”
Chance laughed. “What’s this really about, Colt?”
“We like having you as our realtor. The thought of you leaving… we just don’t like it.”
We? “Did Linc ask you to call me?”
The line went silent.
“Maybe.”
Chance swallowed thickly, heat rising to his face. “He was acting really strange when I showed him the house earlier. Is he okay?”
“Fine as far as I know.”
The little glimmer of hope he’d felt deflated. “Okay then. I better get going.”
“Wait. I just wanted to say something.”
“Yeah?” Chance asked, curious.
“I don’t think Linc wants you to go.”
Chance held his breath a moment. “Linc barely knows I’m alive.”
“Let’s just say someone might have opened his eyes last night.”
Chance wondered who someone was. His stomach tightened. “Oh?”
“Don’t go. At least, not yet. I know you’ve waited a good, long time, longer than you should’ve, but another month or two won’t hurt, right?”
“I suppose not,” Chance said.
“Just don’t tell him I told you anything, okay? He’d murder me.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Alright then… good luck tomorrow and sell that house.”
“Will do,” Chance said. “And Colt?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Chance slid the phone down into his lap, staring at the screen a moment, wondering why suddenly, after all this time, things were shifting so quickly. He had nearly come to an absolute conclusion that leaving was the right thing, and now, this.
Another month or two won’t hurt.
Or it might break him completely.
“Dammit!” Linc screamed along with a couple other expletives after the hammer smashed his thumbnail. He dropped the hammer on the floor with a clang and grasped his aching hand, hissing in pain as he stalked the length of the open space.
“What’s wrong?” Jax asked, walking into the room, his tool belt jingling as he moved.
“I just got myself with the hammer,” Linc said. “I’ll be fine.”
Colt ran in a couple of seconds later. “Who’s hurt?”
“Nobody,” Linc growled. “It’s nothing.”
“Get your head out of your ass or you’ll hurt yourself worse,” Colt said. “It’s only been two days.”
Linc glared at Colt.
“Only two days?” Jax asked, frowning. “Only two days for what?”
Linc interrupted Colt, seeing the man’s mouth opening to answer. God only knew what Colt would share with Jax. “Two days since I put that offer in on the new house.”
“It was a low offer. I’m sure the owner has to mull it over,” Jax said.
“I just expected a call by now.”
Colt laughed. “He’d hoped Chance would’ve called him by now, is more like it.”
Linc growled at Colt.
“Chance? Meaning the Chance you couldn’t get far enough away from a few days ago?” Jax asked with a wide grin.
“Fuck you both,” Linc said before walking over and picking up his hammer. He looked over his shoulder to see them both smiling stupidly at him. “Don’t you two have work to do?”
“One of us might need to stay in here and make sure he’s paying attention to his fingers versus mooning over Chance,” Colt said to Jax.
“We can’t afford any on-the-job injuries right now, so that might not be a bad idea,” Jax answered.
“Rock, paper, scissors to see who stays?”
“Get the hell out of here!” Linc cried, waving his hammer in their general direction.
“Better listen to him. He’s dangerous with that thing,” Jax said, feigning horror.
Linc shook his head and went back to work on his project, hoping they’d leave him be. Hammering allowed him to vent frustration, and soon enough everything was quiet around him. Two long days. The seller should’ve made his mind up by now. According to Chance, the house had had no offers on it all this time, so the seller should’ve jumped. Yeah, it was a little on the low side, but something was better than nothing.
A vibration went off on his tool belt. Linc quickly snatched the phone and looked at the screen.
A smile came to his lips as he accepted the call. “Hey, Chance.”
Linc looked over his shoulder to make sure no one could hear him. “Why don’t I meet over at your place in about an hour? You can give me the run down.”
“Really? I can just tell you over the phone.”
Linc rolled his eyes. Any other time, Chance would’ve jumped at the opportunity. “Meet me. One hour.”
“Yeah… okay,” Chance said. “It’s close to quitting time, anyway.”
“See you then,” Linc said before hanging up and slipping the phone back into his pocket. He slid his hammer into his tool belt before taking the thing off and heading for his truck. He rounded into the hallway… and ran smack into Jax, leaning on the wall.
“Where ya going?” Jax asked with a grin. “I thought you had a lot of work to do?”
“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Linc said, brushing past his friend. He needed to rush home and grab a quick shower before heading over to Chance’s. Luckily Chance had bought one of their earliest flips, so he knew right where to go. Otherwise, he’d have had no clue.
“There’s a lot we’ve got to get done over the next couple of weeks,” Jax called out behind him.
Linc paused and spun. “Have I ever let you down?”
Jax grinned. “Nah, man. You deserve a break. Go have fun.”
Linc shook his head, unwilling to admit anything to Jax. “Whatever.” There was no time to waste playing games. He had a date.
A date?
Linc laughed as he threw his tool belt into the dual cab and jumped to follow it in. The engine roared to life as he pushed the button and in minutes, he was tearing up the asphalt.
Yeah, a date. A real date.
Chapter Three
Chance walked through the house, checking to make sure everything was neat and tidy. Linc hadn’t been to the house since it had been remodeled, and Chance didn’t want the man to see it in a mess. Not that Chance kept it messy, but a couple pairs of running shoes left strewn about in the foyer, a handful of bills and junk mail on the counter, and the remains of the Sunday paper still scattered in the kitchen needed to go.
The place needed to look perfect.